


birds fly in every direction

by i_was_human



Category: Lost in Translation (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Birds, Curses, Loneliness, M/M, Magic, Multi, Muteness, No beta we die like mne, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26315236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_was_human/pseuds/i_was_human
Summary: "I'm sorry," Jaewon whispers, pressing a soft kiss to Minsoo's lips, and Minsoo wants to laugh, because he's the one that should be apologizing. "I'll be back soon."A year isn't soon, Minsoo thinks, but he keeps that thought to himself.
Relationships: Ahn Jaewon | Wyld/Kang Dongho | D.Min/Kim Daehyun/Lee Minsoo
Kudos: 12





	birds fly in every direction

In the village, they tell stories of the cursed boy.

Cursed to silence, or so they say - cursed to forever hold his tongue by a vindictive witch. 

Cursed to an eternity of silence.

They don't know his name - he's never supplied one, nor has anyone asked. As such, he's simply known as the Bird Boy.

Silver hair, silver eyes, the mark of a curse on his collarbone- nobody in their right mind would associate with him.

And yet.

Every year on the same exact days, the Bird Boy comes down from his mountaintop home with yet another cursed soul.

In the summer, it's a blond - chattering a mile a minute as his golden hair swishes around him. In the winter, it's a dark-haired man, regal and fox-like in his elegance and dignity. In the spring, it's a crimson-haired man, eyes soft and smile gentle.

The Bird Boy looks at them like they've hung the moon.

Nobody ever approaches them - social pariahs that they are - but there's a silent understanding that _this_ is what keeps the Bird Boy silent. They - though they know not who they are - mean enough for him to go against his nature.

It says something about him.

* * *

Minsoo's gaze flits to the window, watching as the distant speck grows closer and closer. 

Ten minutes.

His foot taps against the floor, too loud in the silent room, and his gaze flits to the clothes sitting on the table - painstakingly sewn by Dongho the last time he landed.

One day.

It's never enough. 

He watches as Dongho slows to a stop, one moment a massive hawk and the next a man, and he stumbles forwards a few steps before gaining his footing, gaze flitting to the sunrise as his hair whips around his head.

 _Six months is a long time to be lonely_ , Minsoo thinks, hurrying to meet him.

Dongho gives him a fleeting grin as he pulls on the shirt, and Minsoo knows there's more to come later, but _oh_ , loneliness gnaws in his chest, and he wants to feel _something_.

Dongho's not a tactile person - never was, not even back when the four of them lived together and not hundreds of miles and days apart - but he wraps Minsoo in a hug so tight and burning that Minsoo feels as though he'll melt.

(even the quietest people get lonely.)

"I missed you," Dongho murmurs, rich baritone washing over Minsoo's ears, and the silver-haired man sniffs, pressing his face to Dongho's chest.

There are so many things he wants to say - apologies locked behind a curse, quips and jokes whittled away to nothing - but he has to remain silent.

 _"I love you,"_ he says instead, clinging to Dongho like he'll disappear if he loosens his grip even slightly. It's not said with words - rather, with three gentle taps to Dongho's shoulder - and the eldest smiles, a faint, wispy thing.

"I love you too, Min."

Minsoo hates the feathered cloak covering his shoulders, hates the promise that lingers at the back of his mind, _hates hates hates_ and feels it coat his throat.

Dongho hoists him into his arms - strong as always, even with his dark hair shot through with feathers and balance all but nonexistent from a year of flight - and carries him into the cabin, letting Minsoo sob into his neck.

He's so, so lonely.

* * *

Minsoo drifts - more of a ghost than a boy - around the house, always within arm's reach of Dongho.

Dishes?

He's close.

Sewing?

He's close.

Cooking?

He's close.

The dark-haired man gives him a crooked grin from his position near the fire, propping up the logs so they continue to burn, and Minsoo drifts closer, wrapping his arms around Dongho's waist and inhaling the scent of woodsmoke that clings to his jacket.

Real.

Not a dream this time.

Not today.

"We need to go," Dongho reminds him, and Minsoo nods, pressing his face into Dongho's jacket for a single moment longer before standing. "You need food."

Minsoo frowns - he can practice self care, _thank you_ , and he doesn't even _need_ food, cursed with immortality as he is - but Dongho isn't budging on this.

"Here," Dongho murmurs, unclasping his cloak and drooping it over Minsoo's shoulders. It looks ridiculous on him, Minsoo thinks - far too long and large - but Dongho gives him a wry grin, so it must not look that bad. "You'll stay warm."

 _"You could keep me just as warm,"_ Minsoo thinks, reaching over to grasp Dongho's hand. _"Please stay."_

A few feathers detach from the cloak and float to the floor, ignored by both parties.

* * *

In some part of his mind, Minsoo recalls being a people person.

Of course, that was before the birds on his collarbone, before the silver hair and silver eyes and haunting silence.

Back when he was _Minsoo_ instead of Bird Boy.

Dongho grips his hand even tighter as he stares into the sky, a feather slipping from his hair and floating away on the breeze. "Don't look."

Minsoo nods, pulling the hood of the cloak over his head, and Dongho glares at the children who crouch at the edge of the marketplace, harsh and warning. "Tch-"

Minsoo grips his wrist - a silent warning - and Dongho freezes, dark gaze flitting to him.

"Min-"

Minsoo tightens his grip, and Dongho sighs, pulling his arm from the younger's grasp. "Yeah."

Dongho - using his uncanny ability to produce money out of thin air - buys Minsoo a scarf, making sure to wind it tight enough that it won't get blown away by the cold. He picks up a few groceries as well, and Minsoo makes sure to grip his hand tighter when the children start to jeer.

"Hey, Bird Boy!"

"Finally come out of the cottage, huh? What're you doing up there?"

Dongho scowls, and Minsoo digs his nails into the elder's palm - a silent plea.

_"I want to leave."_

Dongho's gaze flits to him, sadness shining in his eyes, and he pulls the cloak's hood over Minsoo's head, tugging it low enough that he can barely see.

"Let's go," he murmurs, and Minsoo nods, letting Dongho lead the way home.

(it's always been like this - dongho leading and minsoo following.

it should be like this.)

* * *

The next morning, Dongho rises with the sun.

Minsoo knows better than to ask him to stay, but that doesn't stop him from wishing.

"Hey," Dongho murmurs, brushing tears off Minsoo's cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. "You'll be okay, Min. Jaewon's already on his way home, and Daehyun's almost at the turn-around."

Minsoo shakes his head, unable to convey hundreds of words and apologies and feelings with just gestures, but Dongho seems to understand.

"Soon," he murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to Minsoo's forehead. "It'll be over soon."

Minsoo doesn't believe him.

Still, he watches as Dongho races across the grassy plain, leaping off the cliff's edge and transforming into a hawk before he hits the ground.

 _"I miss you,"_ Minsoo thinks, the phantom sensation of Dongho's hands on his cheeks. _"Please come home."_

* * *

When Jaewon lands, he takes two steps and falls flat on his face.

Minsoo races to meet him, wiping mud and dirt off his cheeks with his sleeve, and Jaewon laughs, high and embarrassed. 

"Ah... what a bad first impression..."

Minsoo frowns, and Jaewon grins, tugging his feathered cloak around his legs. "I'm back, hyung."

 _"I know,"_ Minsoo doesn't say.

Instead, he helps Jaewon to his feet, letting the younger man lean on him as they stumble back to the cottage.

All the while, Jaewon grips his hand as tight as he can - physical reassurance that _yes, Minsoo is here._

He's never asked if they see each other in the sky - never had the ability to - but he likes to imagine they do.

The alternative is far lonelier.

* * *

Jaewon banishes him from the kitchen - Minsoo, honestly, can't blame him - so he sits at the table, gaze pinned on Jaewon's form in the other room.

Dark feathers stick out of bright crimson hair, and his thick cloak brushes the floor, hiding most of him from view. He hums to himself as he stirs the pot, lips curved into a gentle smile, and _oh_ , Minsoo thinks, _I wish you could stay_.

It's the first day of spring, and Jaewon fits it perfectly - his bright smile and tinkling laugh reminiscent of the flowers blooming on the trees outside - and Minsoo drifts into the kitchen to wrap his arms around the redhead's waist.

 _"I wish you could stay,"_ he doesn't say, clinging to Jaewon like tomorrow is today. _"I'm so, so sorry."_

And Jaewon - brilliant, smart, kind Jaewon - knows what he's saying even without words.

"It's okay," the younger man whispers, turning around with a gentle smile on his lips. "It's okay, Minsoo-hyung. Because we'll always come back, you know? No matter what, we won't leave you behind."

Minsoo sniffs - a little soft, a little grieving - and he leans forwards to press his nose to the fabric of Jaewon's shirt, arms winding around the younger man's waist.

Jaewon doesn't say anything.

He doesn't have to.

They simply _are_ , and for both of them, that's enough.

* * *

Jaewon runs his fingers along the tree bark, a gentle smile on his lips. "Ah... do you remember when this was just a sapling?"

Minsoo nods, and Jaewon's smile grows as he stares up at the budding branches.

"Oh! I had an idea! Wait here!"

Minsoo watches as the redhead scrambles up into the branches, a few feathers falling from his hair and fluttering to the ground.

He waits there for what must be an hour, eventually taking a seat on the grass and tucking his feet under him. He can see flashes of red in the uppermost parts of the tree, and a part of him wonders what happens if Jaewon falls - does he fall, or does he fly?

Fall, probably.

Key word: _probably_.

Hopefully, Jaewon won't fall.

As the sun's starting to set, Jaewon climbs back down, flowers nestled amid the feathers and a series of brilliant blooms in his hands.

Minsoo blinks as the younger man places them on his head, lips curled into a gentle smile, and he stares, dumbfounded, as Jaewon adjusts the flower crown, tongue peeking out from between his lips.

"You look beautiful, Min-hyung."

Minsoo replies with a kiss.

As soon as they part, Jaewon laughs - high and tinkling like the most gorgeous wind-chimes. "Ah, hyung..."

Minsoo reaches up to tuck a lock of Jaewon's hair behind his ear, and Jaewon flushes as red as his hair. "Hyung-"

Minsoo's hands still on the younger man's cheeks, and Jaewon's blush crawls up to the tips of his ears. "What?"

Minsoo stares at him for a moment, gaze searching, before his hands fall back to his side, the familiar feeling of _guilt_ coiling in his chest.

(jaewon deserves better, deserves more than this.

he's always deserved more than what minsoo can give him, but he never deserved the theft of his life and happiness.)

"Hyung?"

Jaewon's gaze meets his, dark eyes wide, and Minsoo shakes his head, gaze drifting to the sun.

Jaewon deserves better than this.

How selfish is it that Minsoo makes him stay anyways?

* * *

Jaewon's up before the sun, though he stays until dawn.

Minsoo knows he wants to leave as soon as he wakes - can see the way Jaewon's gaze strays to the horizon, can see the way he digs his nails into his thighs to keep himself present - so he appreciates the effort to stay.

Still, as with every year, Jaewon has to go.

"I'm sorry," Jaewon whispers, pressing a soft kiss to Minsoo's lips, and Minsoo wants to laugh, because _he's_ the one that should be apologizing. "I'll be back soon."

A year isn't soon, Minsoo thinks, but he keeps that thought to himself.

Jaewon leaps from the cliff, turning into a robin before he hits the ground, and as soon as he's no longer in view, Minsoo laughs until he cries.

* * *

On the first day of summer, Minsoo opts to sit outside.

It's not because Daehyun likes to try and surprise him with when he'll arrive.

Absolutely not.

Besides, he's never come after noon since the day he didn't show up until sunset and Minsoo hugged him while sobbing.

That was... a day.

(he doesn't regret it in the slightest.)

Soon enough, Daehyun touches down, shifting from a bird to a human in an instant. He sprints forwards, bare feet pounding against the grass and cloak streaming out behind him, and Minsoo only has time to stand before Daehyun tackles him into the grass.

"Hey," Daehyun breathes, lips curling into a goofy grin. His blond hair hangs around his face, windswept and tangled, and feathers are woven in between the flaxen strands, one falling out and landing on Minsoo's nose. "I missed you."

Minsoo grins, and Daehyun leans in to pepper him with kisses, peals of laughter ringing through the air as they roll around on the grass. "Hyung, hyung, hyung-ie, I missed you!"

 _"I missed you too,"_ Minsoo doesn't say, but Daehyun gets the gist.

The youngest pulls Minsoo into his arms, draping his cloak over them and staring into the clouds. "Look!"

Two birds shoot through the sky, and Daehyun grins, reaching up to run his fingers through Minsoo's hair. "Jaewon-hyung and Dongho-hyung."

Minsoo blinks, bewildered.

This doesn't happen.

What's happening?

"Don't worry about it," Daehyun advises, snuggling closer. "You'll get frown lines if you worry."

* * *

That afternoon, Daehyun picks up his guitar.

Minsoo doesn't keep it out in the open - it's Daehyun's guitar, Daehyun's Tayler, Daehyun's most precious thing - due to the painful memories, but each and every year, Daehyun pulls it out and starts to play.

Minsoo doesn't actually mind.

The younger man's voice floats through the air, high and sweet, and Minsoo tucks his feet under his legs, lips curling into a tiny grin as the music fills the space. 

It reminds him of what they were before in the most painful way.

(before minsoo's caustic hubris doomed them all, before he said things he couldn't take back, before before before-)

Daehyun's fingers fly over the frets, voice filling the space, and he sways from side to side, eyes shut and lips curled into a gentle smile. He looks happy, at peace, cured for the moment of the wanderlust that consumes him, and the dull ache in Minsoo's chest crescendos into a fresh pain.

_I did this._

* * *

When Minsoo goes with Daehyun, he never has a destination.

It's more... strolling for the sake of strolling. Walking on human legs, with his boyfriend's hand in his, and watching as the town explodes with life.

Minsoo sits between Daehyun's legs, the youngest's fingers weaving flowers into his hair, and he casts his gaze into the branches, almost able to imagine that Jaewon's hidden in their depths. 

It's a nice dream.

Daehyun's hands still, and his arms wrap around Minsoo's waist, chin coming to rest on his shoulder. 

"I'm so sorry, hyung."

 _"Why are you apologizing?"_ Minsoo wants to say, tears stinging his eyes as Daehyun's fingers start their braiding once more. _"Why would you apologize?"_

"I love you," Daehyun whispers, and Minsoo doesn't need to turn to see the smile. "It's going to get better soon, I promise."

Minsoo hates how much that sounds like a goodbye.

* * *

When Minsoo wakes up the next morning, his bed is cold.

Daehyun left in the night.

He cries until he runs out of tears, throat aching and head pounding, because _Daehyun left_.

Daehyun left, and he's so, so lonely.

* * *

Dongho doesn't come that winter.

Minsoo waits on the plateau for days, wrapped up in blankets and coats, but Dongho never comes.

Why?

* * *

Jaewon doesn't come in spring.

 _Maybe they left,_ Minsoo's loneliness whispers, gnawing and caustic at the back of his mind. _Maybe they finally left to go be happy._

But oh, Minsoo hopes they didn't.

He's so, so lonely.

* * *

Daehyun doesn't come that summer.

Minsoo didn't really expect him to.

The guitar sits in the storage room, collecting dust.

* * *

Minsoo's taken to sitting on the grass, gaze pinned on the empty sky.

There's no reason for it. They're not coming back.

And yet, he watches anyways.

It's because of this that he notices them.

On the last day of the year, three birds cross the distant mountains, flying in a sharp V - the largest at the head, and the other two on either side.

Minsoo stares, tears stinging his eyes, as they draw closer, dropping into a tight dive.

And oh-

 _oh_.

He stumbles to his feet, watching as Dongho skids to a stop, Jaewon and Daehyun following suit. Their feathered cloaks disintegrate, feathers slipping from their hair, and Minsoo chokes on a sob as his hair lightens to a deep brown.

Oh, oh, oh-

He charges forwards, tears streaming down his cheeks, and Dongho catches him, Jaewon and Daehyun wrapping themselves around his back.

"I'm sorry," Jaewon breathes, and Minsoo chokes on a wail, reaching up to wrap his arms around Dongho's neck. "Hyung, hyung, I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay," Dongho murmurs, reaching up to run his fingers through Minsoo's dark hair. "It's okay. It's over."

"I told you it'd get better soon," Daehyun grins, and Minsoo clings to Dongho like he's going to disappear, like this is a dream, like this isn't as real as it seems to be. 

"We broke the curse," Dongho whispers, nails scratching against Minsoo's scalp. "It's over."

"...I'm sorry," Minsoo rasps, voice coming out cracked and weak. "I'm so, so sorry-"

"Hyung-"

"Wait, no-"

"You did nothing wrong," Dongho assures him, and Minsoo shakes his head, throat clogged with tears. 

"This was- this was my fault-"

"It doesn't matter," Dongho replies, and Minsoo shakes his head once more.

"But-"

"It _doesn't matter_."

"I don't blame you," Jaewon whispers, pressing his forehead against Minsoo's shoulder. "I just felt bad about having to leave you."

Daehyun and Dongho nod, and Minsoo shakes his head yet again, tears dripping off his chin.

"You should... you should blame me..."

"I don't," Daehyun assures him, and Minsoo blinks.

"But-"

"It doesn't matter," Dongho cuts in, as always the voice of wisdom. "We can talk about it later, but you guys look like you're freezing."

" _You're cold, too_!"

**Author's Note:**

> (i hope to see you again)
> 
> birds:  
> dongho: red-tailed hawk  
> jaewon: american robin  
> daehyun: parakeet/budgie
> 
> please point out any typos
> 
> fic title from birds by imagine dragons go listen to it
> 
> [twit](https://twitter.com/i_was_human_) | [lit fic discord!](https://discord.gg/CNunB74)


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